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Flying High
'''Uptown San Francisco ''This part of San Francisco is one of the few areas left mostly untouched by the weather of the last decade. The steep, curving roads are still lined with beautiful old houses, some of them almost a century old. Flower pots grace the roadsides and are cultivated meticulously. Some of the streets even show the old brick roads underneath. Occasionally, you see one of the famous cable cars pass you down the streets, and people hop on and off of them at random. Fisherman's Wharf is visible in the distance, and people will give you directions to Lombard Street if you ask. The scent of the flowers mingles with the smell of fresh-baked sourdough and the slight fish scent from the Wharf. A weathered old man passes you with a fruit cart. It's covered with fresh strawberries, oranges, bananas, and other tasty items. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance is sitting on a park bench, holding a lampshade, which she licks occasionally. In her other hand is a gigantic box of donuts which she dips into, in between taking a puff from a large cigar Sam Waverly has been hiding out on a rooftop, making occasional excursions down to the ground. Like this one! He walks up the street, fiddling with some electronic device or another. Unfortunately for Sam, Rhiannon is also feeding the birds. With donuts stuffed with barcarbonate of soda. "Take it flappy!" she shouts, hurling a donut that arches in the direction of Sam. "That'll teach you to fly!" Raindance succeeds in grasping Sam Waverly, throwing him off-balance. Powell Glyde was walking around aimlessly for the past hour, passing the time by chewing every cigarette butt he came across. Just as he was getting to his 157th one, he caught sight of Rhiannon and all her bird-feeding glory. "Hey, it's Rain Briar!" He looks around a bit more, "And Gears!" Sam Waverly is dressed very differently from the last time anyone saw him. He gets wanged by the donut, and turns to look at Rhiannon. He blinks once. What are the odds of running into one of the humanized Autobots in a city this size. He frowns and signs at her. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance twitches an eyebrow at Sam. "Hey Gears, what's the matter, still your grumpy self?" She pats the seat behind her. "C'mon sit down here before Powerglide can sit down and try to talk at me." She takes another puff of a cigar before coughing, and then clearing her throat. "This is great, but I miss being able yo fly about, that's the only thing. Can humans fly, do you know?" Sam Waverly sighs. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a glove, which he slides on his right hand. When he signs, now, a Stephen Hawking voice issues from a hidden speaker (probably in his coat). "Not Gears. Name is Samuel." Sam Waverly will apparently go to great lengths to not have to talk normal. "Sure Gears, sure" Rhiannon mutters, throwing the still lit cigar into a bin, which promptly catches fire. "I'm surrounded by Minibots, minibots everywhere. Don't you have better things to do than follow me around. I mean, I know I *AM* awesome and all..." Powell Glyde beats Not Gears to the bench and plops himself down next to Rhiannon, "Wait, what? You mean we've been following you around everywhere and you're not even who you said you were? That's just not right, man, not right at all." Sam Waverly looks between them, glaring. Signs, "You two deserve each other." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance tries to shuffle away from Powerglide. "Eh don't listen to Gears, Powerglide, he's just always angry. We can talk about secret Autobot plans together later. Where have you been staying anyway, I found this awesome hotel. Its got beds in, so you can put all your limbs to your side and lie down, it is genius." She holds up the credit card with 'Michael Briar' written on it. "And apparently this magic card can get me anything, I am glad I found it!" Powell Glyde just stares at Sam, "Dude, I don't know what the hand thing means, okay? Geez, why don't you just talk like a normal person?" He fills in the new space between him and Raindance by scooting closer, just to be a pain in the ass. "Whaaaa-aat? How come you get a hotel and I have to sleep under bridges in a cardboard box every night?!" Sam Waverly rolls his eyes. He's -really- going to have to get that ability installed at some point. "Theft unbecoming." Hahaha, he pretty much stole everything he has on him, but it doesn't stop him from preying on the supposed morals of the Autobots. Sam Waverly's signing is translated to a Stephen Hawking voice by the brilliant computer system he designed and built in a day, like happens in real life all the time. "I dunno Powerglide" Rhiannon mutters, adjusting her stolen police uniform. "I guess you've either got it or you haven't. And you my friend, haven't." She hands him a scalding hot cup of coffee. "You smell, but pour this over your head and it will clean you up" Powell Glyde snorts at Rhiannons complete lack of sympathy. Actually, everyone was being kind of a jerk about this whole thing. Shouldn't someone be watching them to make sure they don't, oh shucks, I dunno, die or something? "This smells like crap. Isn't this the stuff that Defensor drank and said was terrible?" "No" lies Rhiannon. "Just pour it over your head, when have I ever let you down. Then me and you and Gears here will go find Fake Moonracer for you. Deal?" Powell Glyde perks up a bit at the thought of going and finding the obviously fake Moonracer, "I don't know what it is, but she makes my meaty body feel really weird. I think it's her beam locators." He looks down at the coffee and frowns, "Normally, I would blindly trust you, but after all the other times you've put me in terrible situations, I don't know.." So instead of putting himself in danger, he throws the cup at Sam, "You try it first, I'm scared!" Sam Waverly just watches, not -about- to stop Powell from pouring scalding liquid all over himself. Sam Waverly steps to the side, letting the cup fly past, and then lunges forward to throw at punch at Powell's face. Soundwave misses Powell Glyde with his grasp attack. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance nods. "Yeah, that's definately Gears all right, no doubt about it." She opens up her book again. "I dunno Powerglide, it sounds a lot like some sort of devilish hypnotism to me, I wouldn't trust everyone you meet, apart from me" Powell Glyde took that exact moment to reach down, pick up a cigarette butt, and start eating it, unintentionally avoiding the much deserved punch. He nods at Raindance, "I automatically trust you now." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance nods. "Good boy Powerglide, you know it makes sense. Now I need to go and get some more human armour and I need someone to carry all my stuff, you are now that person" Powell Glyde continues gnawing on the cigarette butt, saliva starting to dribble out of the side of his mouth, "Can I stay in your room tonight if I do? I don't want to get beat up again." Sam Waverly draws back after missing his swing at Powell's head, frowning at his lost mobility. He signs, and his speakers emit, "You are deficient." Powell Glyde swallows the cigarette and wipes the drool off his face with a hand, "You're kind of a prick, aren't you Gears? You remind me of someone else, but I don't know who. I wanna say that it was someone that harasses me on an almost daily basis.." "I dunno" sighs Rhiannon. "I mean, you'll have to bunk up with Grand Slam, and he'll just poke you with his tiny tank turret all the time." Of course, she is referring to a little toy tank that Grand Slam has with him like a comfort blanket. Obviously. "He's Gears Powerglide, who else could it be. Come on Gears!" She leaps to her feet, aiming to pat the guy on the shoulder. "Hey, is that a heavily modified transistor radio arrangement in your trenchcoat, or are you just pleased to see me?" Sam Waverly steps back, away from Rhiannon. "Do not touch me." Powell Glyde rises to his feet with as much grace as a quadrapalegic penguin, "He reminds me of Huffer because he's a piece of shit, but the way he talks and his complete lack of personality or facial expressions makes me a bit uncomfortable.." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance strokes her chin. "Maybe he's a Sleezardo? Nah, I don't remember seeing any of /them/ about. But he needs to wear better armour than a silly thing like that!" She moves to wiggle Sam's trench coat. "I mean, what's that going to do if someone lasers him?" Sam Waverly's glare becomes murderous, and he reaches out to catch Rhiannon by the throat. Soundwave succeeds in grasping Rhiannon Slim-Dhance, throwing her off-balance. Powell Glyde flails around, "Oh lawdez! What the hell are you doin', Gears and or Huffer!? Just because you have zero friends doesn't mean you have to try and kill the only person here who might give me a decent place to sleep tonight!" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance is caught by the throat, and struggles at Sam. "Hey hey, mind the head-stick, this is new, you know!" she chokes, trying to pull off his hand. "Get your own!" Raindance succeeds in grasping Sam Waverly, throwing him off-balance. Sam Waverly gets struggled with and scowls, retracting his hands from around Rhiannon's throat. He backs off again and resumes glaring. Powell Glyde twists his scrappy beard for a few moments before snapping his fingers. An idea! "Obviously, HufferGears here is low on energy, hence why he's being such a murderous prick. Don't they have refueling stations around here? You know, with neon signs and stools and counters and stuff?" "Yes!" shouts Rhiannon loudly. "Look Powerglide, see. There is a 'bar' where you refuel. Next to it is a donut shop. When the bar closes, you go in there. Then when that shop closes, you go back to the bar" Because this is the perfect sort of time for an /actual/ human to wander in, in wanders one. Namely, a young woman who is walking while using a cane, tapping the ground in front of her, first left then right. Meghan is on her way to the post office or something normal like that. Hurrah. And heading right toward the small gathering, because that's the direction she needs to be going. Sam Waverly signs at Powell and Rhiannon, which he's rigged up through a glove and speaker and computer system in his coat to project a flat computerized text-to-speech-esque voice. Not the voice of Soundwave, just electronic. "Yes. Go to the bar. Drink. Just go away." Powell Glyde shrugs, "That makes as much sense as everything else does as of late. Why don't we go there and get him over energized so he'll actually be fun to hang around with." He points a finger at Sam, "No! You're coming with us because you need it WAY more than we do!" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance is currently wearing a police officer's uniform that is four sizes too big for her at least. "Yeah, come on Gears, if you don't energise yourself you'll die. Even /Powerglide/ knows that" Coming nearer to the strange conversation, Meghan pauses, blinking a bit (which doesn't do her much good... no one's even sure where she picked up the habit). Energizing? What in the world are these people talking about? None of the voices are familiar to her. Deciding perhaps that she should be cautious, the blind girl starts to try to move past, not knowing someone she spoke the night before is right there... she's pretty hard to miss herself, what with that bright red hair and the red and white cane she carries. Powell Glyde puffs himself out a bit, "Yeah, pfft! Even /I/ know that!" He turns his attention to the woman who's currently beating the ground with a stick. Atleast that's what it looks like to him. "YOU THERE, HUMAN FEMALE! NEVER FEAR, I AM HERE TO HELP!" With a leap, he bounds over to where Meghan is, falls onto his knees and begins to beat the ground with his fists. "I will defeat your enemy and you will reward me. That's how it works, right!?" Sam Waverly signs back, and the computer voice emits, "Not Gears." Then he turns to see the ground-beating display, and the girl Powell is assaulting with his own stupidity. A frown. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance turns to glare at Powerglide too. "Look Powerglide, isn't it obvious? Its DELICATE taps, she doesn't want to scare the creatures under the ground away, even I know that." She smiles at Meghan. "I'm sorry, my companions are all antisocial and insane. Would you like to join us at a fuelling 'drink' station?" To her merit, at least Meghan can't look like she's staring. Her attention never turns. "Um... I'm... not tapping to do /anything/ like scaring anything away..." She ponders very hard on what to say next. Either these people are crazy or /great/ actors. "You've... never seen someone use a cane to help them see?" She pauses again, longer. "Do you mean a coffee shop?" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance stares at the cane, kneeling down beside it. "No, I have..." she holds up her book again "...eyes and a nose, that is how I see. Are you defective?" Sam Waverly rolls his eyes. The Autobots really -will- take anyone. Powell Glyde ceases his ground-beating only after blood starts showing up all over the pavement. "Raindance, you silly idiot! You don't use your nose to see. You use your ears, duh!" He stands up and stretches himself out, "Coffee shop? Is that another name for a 'bar'?" "It's early in the day for a bar, isn't it?" Drunks. Fun. Well, Meghan was raised to be polite, so polite she is. "Most people use their eyes to see, but--..." She pauses, then puts on a rather huffy little frown. "I am not /defective/. I'm blind." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance ponders this. "Well uh okay. Can't you just get yourself fixed then?" She looks in her book again. "Yeah Powerglide, a coffee shop is like a bar, but the energon it serves is less effective" Sam Waverly looks at Meghan a moment, then glares at Powell and Rhiannon. The computer voice again, translated from sign language: "You two leave this one alone." Great, the Decepticon is the voice of reason, what's the world coming to? Powell Glyde sticks his finger in his ear and scratches, "I was blind once, because I got hit by a tank and I crashed. But, I got it fixed, so it's all good." He sticks his tongue out a bit as he scratches, "Whatever Huffer, you just want to take her to the coffe shop bar yourself!" Well, /that's/ an uncomfortable scenario... and an uncomfortable /thought/. Hit by a tank and crashed...? Oh! Well, maybe that explains it. Meghan does recall a few classes she took regarding the human psyche... and soldiers exhibiting PTS sometimes acted a bit like this, according to some studies. Trying her best to let the comment about "just getting "fixed"" roll off her shoulders, she rocks back on her heels a bit. "It isn't that easy for most people. Anyway, if you're hungry, there's a food bank not far from here..." Sam Waverly explains, "They believe they are giant transforming robots. They are mentally deficient." The computer voice is flat and not very inflective. Cosmos says, "*mmf nrf* These pies are delicious!" Powell Glyde pulls his finger out of his ear and wipes all his ear crap off onto his pants, "They have banks for food? Why? You humans leave food all over the place! On benches, on the street, in those metal bins chained to sign posts.." Inferno says, "Ain't they? Ah had me some fried chicken a lil' while ago. Best damn thing ah've ever had." Cosmos makes noisy wet chewing sounds. "Those are garbage cans. The food in those is often rotten and not good for you." Playing along, Meghan figures, is the best way to do it. "And if you haven't noticed, you're human too. A food bank is for people who can't afford to buy food." She tips her head toward Sam at his comment. "Were they with the EDC? I know they use those exosuits... could be a form of PTS." Powell Glyde scratches the tip of his nose, "Ohh, that explains why I've been expelling waste out of my mouth everytime." He furrows his brow a bit, "EDC..wha-Oh!" Hands on his hips, he poses! "Why yes! We are with the EDC!" Sam Waverly thinks about that for a few seconds, then signs. The voice says, "Yes. E-D-C." In an EDC prison just outside of the Alameda, Ron A. Muck is sitting in his prison cell watching Jerry Springer and he is tossing a chair around as he watches. "No way! No he didn't! He sleep'n with your brother? Hah-hah!" He looks down as his mini skirt and crosses his legs and won't let the EDC guards mock him. "I'm Braveheart!" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance slides up to Meghan, putting a hand beside her mouth as if that very fact would stop any noise escaping ."Psst, here's a secret human, don't tell anyone. We're actually /Autobots/. I'm Raindance, this guy" she points at Powerglide "is Powerglide, and he" she points at Sam "he is Gears" Powell Glyde shakes his head, "No! He's not Gears. He's Huffer, remember?" From the airbase across the bay a pair of Talons scramble, their engines loud over the city as they circle upwards. The warning sirens used for natural disasters and alien invasion drone to life throughout the Bay Area. Sam Waverly repeats: "Not Gears. Not Huffer." Powell Glyde tries to jump into Rhiannons arms as the sirens go off, "Oh Lawdez, we're under attack! Huffer, this is all YOUR fault!" EDC ground troops begin to run outside the prisone. Rifles in hands and they look around. "Something's here..." says one prison guard outside Ron A Muck's cell. Ron laughs, "Santa Claws!" He turns off the TV and hides under his prison cell bed just to make sure if there was a bombing, he'd be safe! Rhiannon Slim-Dhance jumps back as Powell falls into her arms. "Argh no Power, I only just got these, I can't have you breaking them!" She looks up, taking a few more steps backwards as alarms go off. "Eh, Decepticons probably up to something. See, if I was still me, I'd be able to take them all down /no problem/" Powell Glyde wraps his arms around her neck, "OH GOD, WE'RE UNDER ATTACK DO SOMETHING! I would but I'm all meaty and have no weapons whatsoever!" Meghan Skellton visibly jumps at the sirens, and she frowns, looking toward Alameda as one hand curls around her cane. "Wonder if Nate's up there..." she wonders aloud, just loud enough to be heard. Then, she looks at the "humans." "Hey, easy, easy... calm down. I'm sure the EDC has this under control. They're good people, and very good at what they do." Sam Waverly blinks and perks up, mouthing a swear word. "Good at what they do?" Rhiannon pouts to Meghan. "Michael Briar was 'good' at what he did and all he did was get killed by a jerk with a sandcastle for a head. The only guys who can stop the Decepticons are the Autobots, thats the way its been, that's the way it'll always be!" She puts her hands on her hips, getting quite worked up about this. Distant bangs and booms can be heard from above the white-grey overcast, followed by debris splashing into the Bay. Anti-aircraft guns and missiles blaze into the sky at something unseen, followed shortly by a low rumble and boom as these selfsame defensive emplacements are knocked out by anti-radiation missiles descending through the cloud cover. A dagger-shaped something punches through the clouds, flares hard, and transforms into one of the big elite-class Decepticons. Blitzwing hits the ground hard in the middle of the Alameda EDC base, blurs into a sudden flash of activity and resolidifies into his normal state, rifle smoking as armored vehicles explode all around him more or less simultaneously. "Where do you keep your prisoners?!" he demands, snatching up one of the human soldiers and pinching his gun flat between thumb and forefinger to get his attention. Sam Waverly waves his hands: "E-D-C good at causing unnecessary ter.. human casualties. Recommend..ing.. we.. leave the blast radius." Meghan's back stiffens as she frowns, lips drawn into a thin, tight line. "With the EDC, huh?" That's all she seems to have to say on the matter. She did not know Michael personally, but the closest person to her besides her own family is not only EDC but also Michael's cousin... and she has a healthy respect for the humans willing to lay their lives on the line for a war that their world was thrust into against its will. She does take a few steps away, but it's further from the group she'd been standing near than before. Powell Glyde snickers at Raindance's description of Galvatron. "Heheh, yeah! That guy looks ridiculous! What's up with the little Danish flag he's got on his stomach, ahahahaha what a loser." He jumps a bit, "Huffer's right (for once), let's get the hell out of here!" Exo-Suit ARES has arrived. "Good plan!" shouts Rhiannon as she start running towards the sounds of the explosions, and into a nearby office block. What... what's that all about? Sam Waverly's handwaving gets a little more frantic. "E-D-C ground forces incoming, Decepticons engaged. Target nearby. Cover required." Sam Waverly knows that.. how exactly? Meh. That does catch Meghan's attention, thankfully... and as Sam seems far more tactful than the two human Autobots, she gives a quiet nod, following the sound of his voice. "I'm not sure where the best... um... cover around here would be... I mean, it's not like I can see it..." EDC fire teams arrive in an APC accompanied by EDC assault ground vehicles. A few tanks, some mounted AAC cannons, and an Ares-class Exo. Nick Furry... runs over to guard the prison cell. Ron A. Muck, however, is actually smart today! He unclips his suspenders and quickly manages to strangle Agent Furry with them by using his hands through the prison bars. After Furry passes out, Runamuck manages to get the swipe card from him and escapes his cell. He grabs the agent's weapons and bullet proof vest. and sets himself up for fighting his way out. He looks down at his mini skirt and smirks as he starts firing the rifle at the prison guards trying to stop him... "For Freedom!" His skirt then blows up like The Seven Year Itch, revealing a pair of red boxers with yellow smiley faces. He recalls what Rocco said from the Boondock Saints, but doesn't remember the real quote. "I'm the cluck outta here!" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance doesn't seem to have run to any cover. Her head pops up on the roof of the high office block as she watches Blitzwing attack. "Yeah!" she shouts. "Get up here Powerglide you coward, you can see everything! Having eyes is great!" Blitzwing is standing in the middle of the Alameda EDC base, which is partly on fire and being defended by infantry and conventional vehicles due to the present lack of exo-suits. He seems to be shaking a corporal by the scruff of the neck between his thumb and forefinger. "WHERE are the PRISONERS?" he demands again. "I'm gonna count down from four. Guess how many limbs you have." Powell Glyde jumps at the chance at being a hero, "It's okay Blind Woman! I'm freakishly short, but I can carry many times my weight! I'm like an ant, only better!" He runs over to the woman, "Don't worry, I've done this, like, two times before. I'm a pro." With a grunt, he tries to lift her up over his shoulder like an exceptionally heavy towel. He's not very good at this, so he might actually drop her on the head. Oh well. Powerglide succeeds in grasping Meghan Skellton, throwing her off-balance. The corporal points in a barely-controlled panic, pointing at a low concrete building as Blitzwing takes ahold of one of his boots in the fingertips of his other hand. "That was fast. Didn't even get to 'one,'" says the Decepticon commando, tossing the soldier aside and striding over to the prison, kicking over an annoying humm-vee in the process. He crouches down and drives his fingers into the side of the low building, gears ratcheting as he straightens up and rips the roof off in a single reinforced slab, tipping it over. "Which one of you is Runamuck?" demands Blitzwing of the prisoners exposed inside like an ant farm. Sam Waverly moves to grab Powell and shove him off of Meghan. "Negative. Release terran immediately." As he gets more stressed, his usual mode of speech returns more strongly and obviously. Soundwave succeeds in grasping Powell Glyde, throwing it off-balance. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance completely ignores the fighting of her 'friends' below as she is more intent on Blitzwing's antic. "Hey hey!" she shouts from the rooftop like a kid who's just seen Santa. "I think thats Astrotrain or something, he looks gimpy. I don't usually pay much attention, I mean they all look the same to me..." In all this confusion, Meghan is nearly lifted, let go, and she takes a few uneasy steps back before tripping and landing flat on her rear. She makes a startled sound, wincing a bit as she rubs her hip with one hand. "Ow..." Meghan is discovering that today is just not her day. Ron A. Muck stumbles into the command office and and finds Markers. Now... Runamuck alone is pretty crazy. He starts taking the markers and high lighters that he can find as he takes covers under a desk. After three minutes, Ron A Muck has used the pink markers to draw what looks like a brain with eyes and teeth on his stomach. He uses a black marker and sets up a box around the brain and adjusts his suspends to work with the brain smiling on his chest. "Heh, I gotta get his as a tattoo!" He grins and leaps over the desk and begins firing back at the EDC guards and yells, "Bebop! Rocksteady! To the Technodrome! Blast those turdles! Blast those turdles!" The Prisoners look at Blitzwing and point silently as Ron A. Muck seems to be fighting prison guards! Powell Glyde is shoved exceptionally rudely and lands face first onto the ground, "Uuuugh, fine! You want her so bad, you can have her! She's not really my type anyway." And with that he pulls himself up to his feet and scurries into the office to meet up with Officer Raindance on the rooftop. Sam Waverly certainly isn't going to go running to a rooftop to get blown up by a stray missile from the EDC or Blitzwing. That'd just be foolish. Surprisingly, though, he doesn't abandon Meghan on the street, instead pulling her up off the ground (maybe a little roughly) and heading for one of those neat little stairwells down to a basement entrance of a nearby shop, like a big concrete foxhole. Blitzwing reaches to his hip where a big metal box hangs on a D-ring, looking like he's wearing a pager. He snaps it open and reaches down to grab Runamuck and put him inside. "Come on, you. We'll steal you more of that fleshy stuff later on if you want." From Exo-Suit ARES , Spike Witwicky sees Blitzwing trying to..well..blitz the holding facility. "Blitzwing," he calls out over the loudspeaker. "Step away from the facility!" - yeah, real original but hey, it's a jailbreak! Rhiannon Slim-Dhance taps her feet as she waits for Powerglide. "C'mon Powerglide, I mean you've had PRACTISE at walking and stuff and yet I beat you!" She points to Blitzwing. "Look, he's either kidnapping someone or rescuing someone. Or he's hungry, I don't know" From Exo-Suit ARES , Spike Witwicky raises his arm and and a small pod pops up from the forearm. He aquires a targetting tone and a volley of mini missile streaks towards the triple changer - but do they strike? Only the combat code knows for sure! Exo-Suit ARES strikes Blitzwing with Herron 45-RKX Rail-Rifle (High Velocity, DU rounds). Powell Glyde manages to make it to the rooftop without succumbing from a heart attack. Once he reaches Raindance, he falls flat onto his stomach and tries to catch his breath, "Ugh, heh, yeah, whatever. So, what's going on?" "Henry Towman", meanwhile, is a scant stroll away. He appears to be enjoying the San Fran air, usings his set of newly aquired lungs. Oddly, becoming human has affected Hoist differently than most of the others 'transhumans': he seems to have welcomed it. Perhaps because he's studied human culture and its technology in as a side hobby, or perhaps it's just another problem for him to work out, Hoist is thriving to this latest challenge. And at the moment, he has reached the pinacle of his entire million year long existance. He reaches into the sack he's carrying as he walks and extracts... A FRESH BAGEL. Runamuck screams inside the padded cell that Blitzwing put him in. "Hah hahah hahahahah! I'm free! You are the ones who are trapped in the box! You can't capture me now! Hahah!" He then freaks out. "Oh no! I have a fear of... close-to-phobia!" He keeps trying to adjust his skirt too. "At least in the Argosy, they don't make you use soap. Stupid prison guards telling me not to drop the soap!" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance keeps staring at the scene. "Oh, its really exciting. Some EDC guy is there now, but he'll probably die soon. You probably can't see it because of your inferior eyes. While you're busy dying though, measure the rooftop for me" "There you go, now just hang tight until-" He straightens up and spins reflexively as a pair of small-caliber rockets burst against his back, lunging towards the source of the launch in the blink of an eye. "Get off my BACK, meat!" Blitzwing snaps at Spike in his exo, swinging the protective human-carrying-case towards the exo-suit's upper half. Did he just forget Runamuck was in there? Blitzwing misses Exo-Suit ARES with its Lunchbox Impact attack. The case sails past Spike and breaks open when it hits the ground, spilling a no-doubt rather dizzy Runamuck out onto the tarmac. "All these years... the wondering. The chemical analysis. That stupid director's taunting meat-face in my recharge cycles, telling me to go get one of... these!" 'Henry' seems almost madly obsessed, oblivious to the happenings but a block away. "And now... THE DAY IS MINE!" He bites the bagel with gusto, and achieves nirvana. The universe secrets open out to him, and it is carried on the flavor of eldrich cream cheese (with chives). Powell Glyde drags himself over to the edge of the rooftop and peeks past the ledge, "Oh, damn, you're right. What's Octane doing here? Shouldn't he be dumping people in the middle of space?" He thinks for a moment, "Why do you want the roof's measurements for?" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance claps her hands promptly. "Powerglide, you are just a lowly minibot whereas I am a gestalt commander, do not presume to second guess me, or I will have to /estimate/ and no-one wants that" A little shaky and unsteady, and not wanting to /die/ horribly, Meghan pulls herself to her feet, using her cane to sweep and try to find a doorway to a shop or somesuch nearby. What with all the exploding and yelling over at Alameda, she can't hear well enough to actually maneuver effectively by sound, and the smell of gunpowder and the like are messing with that as well. Yep. /Definitely/ not her day. Powell Glyde pffts, "Yeah right. You're BARELY a gestalt commander. Besides, don't you turn into the crotch?" Grumbles abound, he begins to pace around the rooftop, using one of his shoes as a ruler. "If I was a robot this would be so much easier.." Spike Witwicky dodges the swing with the aplomb of a seasoned pilot, "Not a chance, junkpile!" he says, and tries to deliver a kick to Blitz's midsection. \Or that's what Meghan would have done! If she hadn't been pulled to her feet by Sam, that is. She moves along behind him as quickly as she can, using her cane when she realizes he's moving down steps. "Underground. That's definitely safer." To someone close by, Sam might sound like he's mumbling to himself as he crouches down in the cement enclosure. Blitzwing scowls as the powered suit flits around him, harrying him- these little ones are hard to hit! He swings a hand towards it in an attempt to swat it away from himself, while small arms fire from the rest of the soldiers pings and ticks off of his armor. "What?" he shouts into his radio. "How come? We never did that before!" Blitzwing strikes Exo-Suit ARES with Backhand. Sam Waverly keeps mumbling. Like into his coat or something. Well, show me the way To the next whiskey bar Oh, don't ask why Oh, don't ask why Runamuck stumbles out of his broken cage. "Gah! I have a hang over! Not cool! Not cool!" He tries to get himself upright and stable. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance jumps up and down impatiently, like someone who's never really had legs before. Imagine that. "I'm totally the Slamdance Commander, Powerglide, you're just jealous." She turns to him. "Hurry up, Primus, can't trust you minibots with anything. Get a minibot to do a tape's job..." It's true that Meghan's shaking just a little bit, but she's keeping her cool surprisingly well. She frowns a little, listening to Sam mumble... stilling herself as well as she can, she wonders what he's talking about, or to who... and really, though she does shift a little closer more out of her own nerves and a human instinct to get closer to someone else in a crisis, she tries not to eavesdrop. From Exo-Suit ARES , Spike Witwicky gets knocked back, but still manages to keep himself off the ground. Piloting back towards Blitzwing, "Fire Teams, sweep the facility, lock down the other prisoners!" he says, his capacitors humming as he charges up for a shot from his electro-transmitters. "C'mon," he mutters, "Pick on ME," he says, moving around the triple-changer. Exo-Suit ARES strikes Blitzwing with Spartan Laser ((High Frequency Modulated Pulse)). Powell Glyde shakes his fist, "Uggh, you are such a bitch. Shut the hell up!" He winds his arm back and throws his ruler/shoe right at Raindance's face. Ahh, it was just like the good 'ol days back in Season 2 when he used to beat the shit out human females for absolutely no reason. Powerglide succeeds in grasping Rhiannon Slim-Dhance, throwing her off-balance. Then, Hoist finally hears the commotions and various goings-ons, snapping out of his other-worldly headtrip. "What the DEVIL...?" Hoist tosses the empty sack into a nearby wastecan, and adjusts the pack he has on his back. Before when we saw him, he was wearing green coveralls; this time, he's wearing a leather flight jacket and jeans (both purchased from a thrift store) and a pair of almost antique looking welding goggles on his forehead. He's also trimmed his beard back, finding it a nuisance as he teaches himself the human way to weld (he also seems to have learned about 2nd degree burns, given the bandages on one hand). He hurries towards the source of the battle sounds, fighting through the throng of people trying to get the hell AWAY from there. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance grabs the shoe angrily and throws it off the roof, as it sails down in the direction of Hoist's head. "Hah, you're not getting that back, mister!" Blitzwing takes the opportunity of Spike's range from him to whip up his gyrojet carbine and fire a blazing stream of shells downrange. "Oh, okay then," he says into his radio, adding, "You better get moving, meatsack! I'm not here for you- you still have a chance to live!" Blitzwing strikes Exo-Suit ARES with Gyro Carbine (full auto). Blitzwing shakes out the arm that took the laser hit after hosing down the exo-suit and pauses a moment to look around for where Runamuck might've gotten to, tromping after the wayward pseudohuman. From Exo-Suit ARES , Spike Witwicky takes the volley of shells across the front of the exo, causing him to dip and swerve in the air as systems re-route flight systems. Energon leak from the shell's holes like blood from gunshot wounds and Spike grunts. "Trust me, if I'm gonna get taken out by a Decepticon, it's gonna be by better than /you/." he says, piloting his exo straight for Bltiz's face, exo in a familiar superhero's pose as he tries to punch the Decepticon. Exo-Suit ARES misses Blitzwing with its Hurtin' Bombs attack. Sam Waverly is actually speaking quietly, almost subvocalizing into a set of microphones he fashioned. He looks at Meghan, frowns, and then looks up at the bright streaks in the sky. Ron A. Muck tries to catch up with Blitzwing! His suspenders are kind of messed up and his mini skirt comes off! He trips as they get caught around his ankels. "Oh God... I mean... Oh Primus!" He takes off his skirt and continues to run in his boxers to Blitzwing. "Oy!" Henry Towman manages to stop short just before the thrown shoe brains him in the head. He blinks and looks up, and experiences the odd sensation of battle-blindness as he instictively tries to activate the sensor array above his head that is no longer there. A sick feeling enters his (new) gut but he shakes it off: Courage 81, baby. He screams up at the forms he sees. "I say, what the BLOODY HELL is going on here?" Blitzwing spots the incoming exo out of the corner of his eye and twists out of the way, ducking as his combat knife falls into his hand from its slot in his wrist, rising as he reverses it, turning back as he flings it at Spike, trying to spear him in midair! Blitzwing strikes Exo-Suit ARES with Combat Knife. Meghan Skellton swallows but says nothing. Blitzwing is a name she's heard on the news... a Decepticon. Two and two fit together in her head. He's... /with/ the guy attacking Alameda? She keeps her mouth shut, however, though she does take a few nervous steps back. She'd heard, of course, of humans supporting Decepticon actions, but working so closely with them? She holds her cane close to her. Could this day possibly get any worse? Rhiannon Slim-Dhance leans over the edge of the roof to shout at Henry, hardly able to hear anything from the wind whipping around her. "What what?" she calls. "What are you saying, that makes no sense!" Blitzwing latches his carbine back onto his hip and reaches down to scoop up Runamuck in one hand and deposit him on his shoulder. "Hang on, you, we're getting out of here." His engines spin up with a whistle and a roar as he hovers into the air, then starts floating away across the bay on a blast of jet exhaust. Blitzwing just so happens to be going right by the building that everyone else is hiding out on! Not that he has seen them. Ron A. Muck tries to put his skirt back on. "I'm nekkid! No!" Sam Waverly drops an lcd panel into his hand, like an iPhone or something, and taps out a few digits, continuing to mumble. He's paying very little attention to Meghan at this point. Tracers sizzle through the air as shells, grenades and machinegun bursts whistle after Blitzwing from the defenders, but since they are NPCs and not particularly well equipped he just shrugs them off. At this point, getting the bejeebus out of here seems to be the order of the day... and she /knows/ that voice. Sam is his name, right? The man from the restaurant. Everything now is very fishy. She sort of wishes she could call Nate, but to turn on her phone and just start talking right here... that would be a super-stupid move. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance stares at Blitzing as he comes closer, the wind whipping her hair about. "Isn't this great Powerglide!" she shouts to the minibot who has now vanished. "And I now have a British human shouting at me, as I STAND up here. This is even better than the time Slamdance uh, DIDN'T pretend to be Guiltor and torment Hot Spot" Sam Waverly is still rather perceptive, and does notice Meghan trying to get away. In a quiet voice, he really speaks, "Wait. Safer here." Ron A. Muck is riding Blitzwing and is trying to not lose his cowboy hat. "We gotta make a pit stop I think!" Yes, the redhead is trying to get adjusted to things. From Exo-Suit ARES , Spike Witwicky gives chase after Blitzwing, "Let him /go/, Slagheap!" he calls out, firing off a shot with his laser trying to get him to relinquish the prisoner. Exo-Suit ARES misses Blitzwing with its Spartan Laser < with AA-6 "Acrid" Missile. As Blitzwing transforms and flies past, Rhiannon takes a leap back in genuine surprise at Hoist's... towing gun. "Uuh yeah I didn't really mean to hit you British guy, don't be mad!" She runs away across the rooftop, and then... ...well, lets just say that anyone watching from below would see a young woman dressed in an oversized police uniform take a running leap from the top of the tall building, directly to the jet mode of Blitzwing. 92 courage, eat your heart out! Ron A. Muck tries to climb towards the cockpit while his cowboy hat flies off. "Nooo!" He might just make it! Meghan Skellton just freezes where she stands, her small hands twitching a little bit. She's startled that he's trying to... /protect/ her? Now she's really confused. Her shoulders are shaking a little bit, though. She's... well, okay, yeah, she's sort of just a little bit uneasy. From Exo-Suit ARES , Spike Witwicky gets hammered with the missle, and blows a good chunk of the exo off, leaving part of him visible underneath. He pulls back, barely able to fly. He banks off back towards Alameda, trailing thick black smoke and wobbling more than a little. Windows rattle and shatter, car alarms whoop and wail and traffic skids to a crashing halt as a jet fighter with two death-defying men (one of whom is trapped (sexily) in a woman's body) fighting atop it while they struggle to hang on launches a missile down the length of Union Street to explode in a rolling fireball against Spike's powersuit! Rhiannon Slim-Dhance lands shakily on the flat surface of the jet, heart pounding. She puts a hand to her chest. "Whoa, this thing feels breaking, I need to..." she staggers backwards, wing whipping about everywhere as she spots Ron A Muck trying to get into the cockpit. "YOU!" she shouts, running forwards and attempting to kick him in the face. Ron A. Muck evades your grasp attack. Henry Towman's jaw drops as he watchs the 'policewoman' do something even more foolhardy than he just did. "I... said... what's going on?" he says, a bit in shock. He stands up and collects himself, pausing to reset the mechanics in the towing gun. Blitzwing is long out of its range, leaving Rhi on her own and leaving Henry to wonder: "... do I know her from somewhere?" He shakes it off and enjoys an alternative to his lost head sensors: a superior view of the action. Sam Waverly speaks into his microphone, those very nearby might hear him: "Blitzwing, Terran Witwicky retreating. Advise tactical withdrawal." Meghan Skellton grips her cane a little tighter. Yes, /definitely/ needs to call Nate! Before she gets shot or Sam realizes she's hearing him quite clearly. Probably moreso than someone who relies on vision as opposed to sound would. MiG-25 "Foxbat" dips low over the bay and banks shallowly to head south, roaring by under the Bay Bridge with a fantail of grey-green water tearing up in his wake. "What's going on up there?" he demands of the humans hanging onto his fuselage, unable to see them. The Battlecharger manages to be to avoid getting kicked! "Bwahahah!" HE really wants to get home and take a shower. "You! I'm going to fight you to the death or die trying!" He goes over to Raindance and tries to give 'her' the ultimate death attack! You evade Ron A. Muck's grasp attack. Ron A. Muck attempts to give her a wedgie! On top of a speeding plane, it is very windy, as Rhiannon finds out, as she is blown back to hit one of the tailfins, avoiding the deadly wedgie. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but you're not leaving here with that face intact!" she shouts, hefting Powerglide's other shoe in her hand and throwing it at Ron's head, using her other hand to hold herself steady Sam Waverly has probably noticed, though has been far too preoccupied to do anything about it. With Blitzwing retreating, he turns back toward Meghan. "You are not part of this conflict. Recommend waiting for emergency personnel." Sam Waverly's human voice is still flat and monotone. Star Trek fight music plays as the two humans grapple with eachother atop the jet. "Okay, quit roughhousing!" snaps Blitzwing as he comes out from under the bridge and turns over the south Bay. "I swear I'll turn this thing around and you'll get the hiding of your lives!" People crouching in the shadow of buildings start to straighten up and look around, heads poke out of shattered windows and collided drivers get out to shout at eachother. Car alarms keep going of course. That you can rely on in San Francisco. After a few moments of a very blank expression, Meghan finally just... heads back up the stairs very quickly, tapping the bluetooth receiver on her ear. "Call Nate Briar." She pauses, her cane resting against a wall. With things settling down, she's looking much better, and somehow she managed not to get killed or something. Just another day in 2029. "Come /on/, Nathan, pick up..." Ron A. Muck gets hit with a shoe to the head. He groans and and quickly attempts to do something smart again! Using his suspenders, he makes a slingshot and returns fire with the shoe! "Die neo-sapien!" Runamuck succeeds in grasping Rhiannon Slim-Dhance, throwing her off-balance. Nate Briar? Crap. Sam Waverly turns and moves up the stairs. "Negative, cease communications. Stop." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance is hit in her free hand by the shoe. "Hey, I just got this hand, its mine!" she shouts, as despite the wind, she starts to run at Ron in a rugby tackle. "You're coming with me buster, time to face justice!" Oh my. Raindance succeeds in grasping Ron A. Muck, throwing him off-balance. Carrot Top -- er Ron A. Muck gets tackled by Rhiannon. "No! I shall not be bested by a little girl!" He tries grab her hands and tie them up in the suspenders if he is lucky. "Hah! I am going to kick you off!" Runamuck succeeds in grasping Rhiannon Slim-Dhance, throwing her off-balance. Startled, Meghan freezes, but just for a moment. She sweeps her cane around, trying to find somewhere she can use to get somewhere a bit safer than where she is. She's not in the mood to get into a whole lot of trouble, but... well, trouble does seem to follow sometimes. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance may have managed to hit Ron, but she's pushed in the process and skids towards the edge of the plane. "Girl?" she shouts angrily. "Girl? I'll get you y-aaaargh!" With one hand, she manages to pull out a parachute from one of Blitzwing's external storage lockers, barely able to put it on and activate it as she tumbles through the air, saved by a reassuring jolt as the parachute unfurls to show a giant Decepticon insignia atop it "Ha ha, good one! Oh man, I forgot I even still had those things with me," laughs Blitzwing as he banks over the south Peninsula to watch the parachute float down towards the water. His cockpit slides back. "Okay, come on, get in before you fall off, let's get out of here." Ron A. Muck manages to make to the cockpit of Blitzwing and groans. "Well, this surely is stinky." He looks at the seat and grins. "Dude, do you have cable inside here?" He sighs in relief that he is free and finally heading up to the Argosy. "Galvatron mad at me for being stuck as a Neo-Sapien?" Sam Waverly stops at the top of the stairs. "Irrelevant," he seems to grumble, then turns and takes off down the street, to get away from what he sees as the inevitable arrest coming from Meghan's contacts in the EDC. The young woman is not at all made any less unnerved by the situation. She's still trying to get through to Nate... and getting his voicemail. She grumbles irritably. Henry Towman sighs as he descends the building via the fire escape. At least he knows his tow-gun works! He reaches the bottom just in time to see Sam go by. Henry barely registers him. Sam Waverly disappears down an alley somewhere. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance slowly parachutes down on her stolen parachute, the Decepticon logo filling the sky as she lands in the middle of the city. "Whew!" she says with a grin. "I never knew being able to run and jump would be that fun!" Naturally, there's still a very bewildered looking blind woman standing in the middle of a sidewalk as people rush past her on either side, some panicking, the others rushing to take pictures of the destruction, a few more still going on about Decepticons and alien conspiracies and the MIB. Ron A. Muck manages to make to the cockpit of Blitzwing and groans. "Well, this surely is stinky." He looks at the seat and grins. "Dude, do you have cable inside here?" He sighs in relief that he is free and finally heading up to the Argosy. "Galvatron mad at me for being stuck as a Neo-Sapien?" Henry Towman happens to be walking up the street towards Meghan, deftly avoiding the exodus of panicky people. He's stowed the tow-gun back in his pack, just as he notices the woman still trying to get her bearings. "Excuse me, madam, is all well with you?" Henry's voice is cheerful, despite all the chaos around them. "Haven't heard about you from Galvatron," replies Blitzwing as he climbs away from California. "He's keeping his head down. Like you should be doing! Now shut up and put your safety belt on." "I... I think so, thanks," Meghan replies, milky green eyes almost seeming to stare into oblivion. She taps her cane gently against the ground. "Really. Just... a little surprised right now is all..." She taps her bluetooth again, once more repeating the order to call Nate Briar. As Henry talks to Meghan, a shadow falls over the two, and a young lady in a policemans outfit and using a giant Decepticon parachute crashes down on top. "Quick quick, move your limbs!" Rhiannon shouts Raindance succeeds in grasping Henry Towman, throwing it off-balance. Raindance succeeds in grasping Meghan Skellton, throwing her off-balance. Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a flying tinker-toy! The flying metal man happens to be hovering and spots the Decepticon emblem. Instantly, the flying mech zooms down to investigate the sight! Henry Towman looks up just in time to heed Rhi's warning; he grabs Meghan and shields her partly from the flailing parachute. It still hasn't occured to him Meghan is blind. Meghan Skellton squeaks in a startled sort of fashion when suddenly there is something over her! She has no idea what's going on, really. She's actually kind of /glad/ Nate isn't answering his phone at this point. What an odd explanation she'd have for him right now. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance, being right underneath it, is covered by the parachute as she thrashes and pulls it off her head, her hair all frizzy. "Well!" she exclaims, looking at Henry and Meghan. "That WAS fun, wasn't it?" Ghost Armor lands by the group and begins to look over them as the pilot inside tries to figure out who they are if they have the Decepticon parachute! With the voice filters, Nate speaks, "Halt. Identify yourselves." "... you! You! YOU IDIOT! What the hell were you thinking, jumping onto Blitzwing like that?!" Henry still doesn't know he's talking to a fellow Autobot. He helps Meghan up. "It's okay, my dear. Little visit from a friend above." He looks up at Rhi. "Are you alright? You look roughed up. More so, than just jumping onto a MOVING JET." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance rolls her eyes at Henry. This isn't because she thinks he's being stupid, just because she likes rolling her eyes. "Tch! Don't be a protoform, that's nothing. Did you see me PUNCH that guy in the face, wasn't that AMAZING?" Though helped up, Meghan can't seem to find her way out from under the parachute. To be fair... it's not like she can see where she's going. "Um... could I maybe get a little bit of help getting out from under this stupid thing...?" Then a bit of panic. "My cane! I dropped my cane!" "Blitzwing? Not a friend of your's either? Then you must be Autobots," says Nate inside. Still, this German made exo-suit is set up to hide the identity of the pilot. And that's exactly what Nate is doing with it. "Need help or being escorted back to your bases?" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance points a finger at Nate. "The Decepticons are no-one's friends buddy, apart from the Sleezardos that they pay to be their friends. And I don't need any help, I'm just too busy being /awesome/" Cosmos is still eating pies. *mrf snarf* Henry Towman is startled, but looks over at Rhi and puts two and two together. He let slip Blitzwing's name, and your typical human does not use the term 'protoform' in a casual sentence - nor do they repel up buildings or jump onto jets. Still, discresion was needed, until he knew who he was talking to... "... I believe you are mistaken, sir. I am merely a stander-by. And this is my... er, assoicate. We were just helping this young lady out. Miss..?" he says, hoping Meghan would deflect attention from himself. ((bluff check!)) And...right about now.....a Concorde zooms past. Gee....anyone that has half a brain and can spot the autobot symbols on the wings knows this is Silverbolt....late as usual. "Look, I need... there should be a cane laying here somewhere... I can't get around..." The woman is on her knees, and she's apparently not /looking/... she's feeling. Her long red hair is hanging about her face and shoulders and she has stopped trying to escape completely, her slender fingers searching for the rather obvious red and white cane she was carrying before. "EDC files have reports on this 'young lady,' and humans do not know much of Blitzwing. Also... We know that some Autobots got turned into humans. I'm here to help." The armored man begins to scan and tries to locate the cane. He quickly manages to find it. Without thinking, he says, "Here you go, Miss Skellton." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance takes a cigar from her breast pocket, and lighting it, starts to puff away as she stares at Nate. "Yeah, and who are you? While I was punching that escaped convict in the face at 10,000 feet, were you just putting your undeserved human legs up?" That causes Meghan to pause entirely, lifting her head slightly once she feels the cane in her palm. She tips her head slightly, lips pursing. She knows very few members of the EDC. One always called her Meghan. One called her Miss Skellton out of politeness. One called her Miss skellton just to be irritating when the mood struck him. She frowns, hands clenching her cane. "Thanks..." "I imagine so, old man," Henry says as he takes out a pipe and lights it. "... but as much as I am appreciative of help, I'm hardly helpless. I come and go to the EDC as I please, as I have... other pursuits. "Still, I imagine you must be EDC, seeing how that other faction went under a while back and they don't give out those suits to just anyone." He puffs. "Autobot Hoist. And you, Rank and Serial?" He puffs, properly British. Powell Glyde was asleep ontop of the roof this entire time because he's a lazy mother-shut yo mouth. Nevertheless, he was awake now and the most important thing you can do once waking up ontop of a building is to take the stairwell down and assimilate yourself with a group as fast as possible. Also, pretend you were there the entire time. "Yeah, totally." Ghost Armor looks at female Raindance, "Putting my legs up? I do more than just sit around. For starters, I needed to be jumpstarted due to previous damage." Yes the attack on Rammstein messed up some of the suit. "Hoist, I'm Nobody. That's all you need to know." No, Nate wasn't trying to be irrating towards Meghan. It just seemed professional for now. "Miss Skellton, do you acquire assistance?" Meghan Skellton tips her head to one side, frowning. "I need to get back to my apartment... but I think I got turned around. If you're EDC, then maybe you can help me out. I'm trying to get ahold of a friend of mine who's in the ranks. Nate Briar?" Concorde SST circles the buildings a couple of times and transforms before landing nearby. "Oh brother." he says looking around.....and finds the woman looking for her cane, whom he recognizes. He nudges the white cane closer to her hand and sighs. "Are you all right Miss Skellton?" No mistaking this voice. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance kicks the parachute to the sidewalk idly as she puffs on the cigar. "Nate Briar? wasn't he the one that got horribly murdered?" she muses, seeing Powerglide. "Primus Powerglide, you are so lazy, go get me a new hat" Hoist whispers "Bloody marvelous, they have idiots in armor suits, too." Oh, Nate. Silly Nate. Probably not the best thing to affirm in front of the poor blind woman. Somehow, though... /somehow/ Meghan manages to keep her cool, though the fact that her eyes look somewhat glassy and tear-filled and her voice cracks as she forces it past that sudden unpleasant lump in her throat probably gives away the fact that hearing it confirmed that now /Nate/ is "dead" hits her rather hard. "Y-yes... I'd... yes, I'd appreciate that, thank you." She doesn't even acknowledge Silverbolt's presence now. No, her mind is otherwise occupied. Henry Towman's pipe dangles from his lips in sudden shock. "Raindance?" A moment's pause as he regains composure. "Ah, well, you look good in clothes." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance nods at Henry, waving her arms and legs about. "Yeah, and looks, limbs and a head too, isn't this the best thing ever?" So with the Autobots thinking that Nate is dead, life is good! No one will have to know that the protective unit of the EDC is really Nate. "Miss Meghan Skellton... Do you have everything you need? I can bring you back to your home." Yes, Nate didn't calculate how is behavior would go over either. Powell Glyde throws his arm around Raindance's shoulders and points a finger at Hoist, "Heck yeah he does! He's hot! Or, atleast that's what my fleshy body is telling me. Too bad he's always bein' a little wanker though, right?" With the shaking hand not currently holding her cane, Meghan wipes her eyes, still managing to keep her voice surprisingly steady. "If you would... I'd... I'd very much appreciate it. I think I just... I just want to go home right now." Henry Towman says, "Please, please stop calling her 'him'" Rhiannon Slim-Dhance tries to shake Powerglide off. "Stop attacking me Powerglide. And I'm not hot, I feel fine!" Powell Glyde pulls Raindance reaaal close to him, "I'll say! Whoo!" Does he even know what he's talking about anymore? Thanks to the lovely use of maps.google.com, Nate's able to figure out the easiest way to get Meghan home... Now all he has to do is walk with her. Surely he won't look like a sore thumb in his exo armor as he tries to walk down San Fran with her. "Do you need coffee or a Danish, Miss Skellton?" Nate's going on force of habbit right now. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance stands stock still. "Powerglide, soon you will be treated to a special rendition of 'The Girl That Killed Powerglide'. Well, whatever a girl is, which I am, apparently." In her current mindset, Meghan's train of thought is just insisting that Nate must've told someone about that. After all, he had friends with the EDC. As she walks, her cane just tapping almost half-heartedly, she sighs. "I'm not hungry, but thank you." Powell Glyde backs off a bit, "Yeah, fine, whatever. But once it gets all cold and lonely at night, you know you'll be running back to me. And I'll be waiting. Under the bridge. In my cardboard box." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance flexes her credit card. "Enjoy your box, Powerglide. I'll just stay in my crappy hotel room!" Ghost Armor nods. "Very well. Would you prefer to be left at the bus terminal or your complex?" Nate's assuming that Meghan knows and that she is either mad at him or playing along. "My complex." Bus terminal? Well, James met them there once... and so did Jayson, didn't he? Meghan does pause to look at the armored stranger, though. "...when? I watch the news... I just... I didn't know, I never heard anything, and..." Wait, are there actually tears starting to make their way down her cheeks? From Ghost Armor , Nathan Briar pauses and senses the tears. "When what, Meg?" Nate's never been the best communicator with Meghan as is. "Is everything alright?" Sam Waverly, for no reason, gets the feeling that Meghan will be madder at Nathan than at him, later. Wait, no he doesn't, he's not there. "When did Nate--..." Her words die in her throat. He called her Meg. She spins on the man in the suit, expression absolutely furious. "/Nathan/?!" Sam Waverly called it. "Plausible. Possible. Deniable." Yes, Nate has to be like this in the armor! He's a risk factor if his identity can be found. "Coordinates are confirming that we are only 4 blocks away." Meghan Skellton bristles visibly, her arms folded. She's really genuinely angry, and hurt. Her eyes are still glassy and there are still tear-stains on her cheeks, and yes, her lip's still quivering. If someone could be frozen solid by a tone of voice, hers might just do it. "Take me home please." From Ghost Armor , Nathan Briar gasps! "Meghan --!" He then says, "Yes, Miss Skellton." He frowns and sighs. "You wouldn't understand the security reasons, I fear. I meant /no/ harm." He continues to stick out like a sore thumb in his exo armor as they arrive near her apartment. "I can't be Nate right now..." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance prods Powerglide as she listens. "See Power, maybe YOU can be Nate now if he doesn't want it" Powell Glyde frowns and snorts, "Feh! I'm WAY too good lookin' to be Nate." "I'll talk to you later, /sir/." Meghan taps her door, then takes a set of keys out from her purse. She rubs the sides until she finds the scratched one, unlocking her door, walking inside, and shutting and locking the door behind her. Someone is not in a very pleasant mood. It's okay. She'll call him later. Maybe. When she's feeling up to it. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance ponders this. "I don't see what your fixation with your facial arrangement is. When you spend your entire existance as a sentient triangle, you will learn to appreciate what you've got. Plus I'm /stunning/ and none of you can beat me, so there" Powell Glyde gags at Raindance, "If by 'stunning' you mean 'grotesque' then yes, you are quite 'stunning'." "Affirmative..." Nate's cell doesn't work while he's in a mobile armor that's almost skin tight. Putting a phone in his pocket would be a bad idea. "I'm off to go track down Decepticons. I will see you 'later,' /Miss/." And with that Nate takes off! Rhiannon Slim-Dhance glares at Powell. "Stupid Minibot, you wouldn't know stunning if it tasered you in the face." Saying that, she lifts the taser from her police uniform and shoots it at his face Raindance succeeds in grasping Powell Glyde, throwing it off-balance. Powell Glyde begins to scream even before he was tasered, for he knew exactly what was coming the second she reached into that stolen uniform. In a fit of twitching and frothing, he hits the ground and spasms uncontrollably. Rhiannon Slim-Dhance looks down at Powerglide. "Now what have we learnt?" she coos Vincent Ortex wanders out of the hotel Andi, Foxfire and Songbird put him up at last night, which just happens to be a few blocks away from this. He has a free newspaper in his hand and is reading through the classifieds. "Boring, boring, boring and.. boring.' He flips the page. "Oooh there we go." He looks up from his paper at the chaos,the tasers and the exo-suit. He gives a smile that's a bit too wide for a moment. "Now that's exciting." Powell Glyde would beat Raindance with a shoe if he had any left. "For the love of God, call a doctor.." he whines, blood begining to seep from his nostrils. Ghost Armor begins to hover on the ground and notices Vincent Ortex. "Greetings." Yes, the EDC pilot inside is unknowingly greeting the enemy! Rhiannon Slim-Dhance prods Powerglide with her shoe. "C'mon get up, you can grovel to me later." Vincent Ortex backs a few inches from the armor. He then remembers he's in one of the best disguises ever. "Hey." He says in a quiet voice as if not used to speaking. He seems to forget to breathe on occasion. "So we got a little domestic problem here?" He motions to Rhiannon and Powerglide. Powell Glyde manages to lift himself up onto weak and wobbly legs. Hey, he was getting a lot better at this being tasered thing. "Uuuugghh....biiitcchh.." he growled, holding a hand up to his face to pinch his nose. Silverbolt just....blinks his optics. "yeah....right." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance glares at Powerglide, holding up her magic EDC credit card. "Look Minibot, I need to get a chronometer for my arm, and some sort of human radio, as well as more suitable human armour." She pats down her oversized police uniform. "Also people keep walking up to me and asking if I can help them out, I don't like it" Sam Waverly, having hidden on the roof for long enough for the emergency to disperse, climbs down the fire escape and steps out on the street, nearby. Powell Glyde tilts his head foreward, fingers pinched tight upon his STILL bleeding nose, "Maybe we should hit a bar afterwards. Or a doctor.." Rhiannon Slim-Dhance glowers at Powerglide. "I dunno, I can jump onto a jet at 100 feet, fight against a Decepticon agent and then parachute to safety and be fine. You walk down the street and get covered in blood. You are not good at being a human" Ghost Armor nods, "Don't worry. They are being taken care of." The armor starts to fly upwards and in an attempt to locate! Why? Because Nate is like Ultra magnus! He does have time for this! Powell Glyde growls under his breath, "You're not very good at being...a not bitchy human." He tilts his head back and swallows any blood that still lingered in his nose before dropping his hand back down, "Whatever, look, are you gunna' do your shoppin' or what?" Vincent Ortex chuckles. "Allrighty then. " he chuckles as the Armor takes off. "Humanity's protectors." He moves to a bench and gets back to his paper. "No, way. They pay humans to do that?" his eyes widen. "I'm so going to have to get a phone."